Federal courts
Courts interpret and apply the law in cases within their jurisdiction. A court’s role differs from the legislative work of Congress.
New to this? Start with these words.
- Court
- An institution that hears and decides legal cases.
- Jurisdiction
- The authority to hear particular kinds of cases or cases from a particular area.
- Appeal
- A request for a higher court to review a lower court’s decision.
Learn at your own pace. Browse the plain-language glossary →
District courts
Federal trial courts hear cases, consider evidence, and apply federal law.
Courts of appeals
Appeals courts review decisions from lower federal courts. They generally review legal issues rather than conduct a new trial.
Supreme Court
The Supreme Court is the highest court in the federal system. It reviews selected cases and resolves important questions of federal law and the Constitution.
Where are the elections?
Federal judges do not run in public elections. Supreme Court justices, federal appeals judges, and federal district judges are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate. Other federal judicial roles have different appointment processes.
This is why the federal court section explains the structure without presenting a voter election calendar for judges. State court selection systems vary by state.
- Branches of the U.S. government · USAGov
- Types of federal judges · U.S. Courts
Reviewed October 19, 2026. How this guide is researched.
Meet the current Supreme Court.
Explore the Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices, their appointment history, and selected case participation. Lower federal judges are not individually profiled in this collection.
Explore Supreme Court membership →